schistosomiasis

Definition of schistosomiasis

: infestation with or disease caused by schistosomesspecifically: a severe endemic disease of humans in Africa and parts of Asia and South America that is contracted when cercariae released into fresh waters (such as rivers) by a snail intermediate host penetrate the skin and that is marked especially by blood loss and tissue damage

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'schistosomiasis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The first known use of schistosomiasis was
in 1906

Medical Definition of schistosomiasis

: infestation with or disease caused by schistosomesspecifically: a severe endemic disease of humans in much of Africa and parts of Asia and South America that is caused by any of three trematode worms of the genus Schistosoma (S. haematobium, S. mansoni, and S. japonicum) which multiply in snail intermediate hosts and are disseminated into freshwaters as furcocercous cercariae that bore into the body when it is in contact with infested water, migrate through the tissues to the visceral venous plexuses (as of the bladder or intestine) where they attain maturity, and cause much of their injury through hemorrhage and damage to tissues resulting from the passage of the usually spiny eggs to the intestine and bladder whence they pass out to start a new cycle of infection in snail hosts